Jean-François Reymond leads a growing effort to arm athletes, executives, and regulators with the tools to combat match-fixing — a threat he warns endangers not just fair play, but the commercial future of sport itself.
As Canada’s sports betting market continues its rapid expansion following legalisation, a quiet battle is being fought behind the scenes. In training grounds across the country, athletes are learning to recognise the warning signs of match manipulation approaches. In boardrooms, sports executives are grappling with integrity frameworks that could determine their sport’s commercial future.
At the centre of this effort stands Jean-François Reymond, Education Ambassador for the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA). Ahead of his appearance at the Canadian Gaming Summit this June, Reymond spoke to Insider Sport about IBIA’s comprehensive approach to safeguarding sports integrity.
His message to sports business professionals is this: match manipulation threatens every sport, and education represents the most critical line of defence in protecting both competitive integrity and commercial value.
Global surveillance system processes 650,000 sporting events
The IBIA operates the world’s largest integrity monitoring network, analysing over $300 billion in global regulated betting transactions annually. The system covers more than 650,000 sporting events and functions as an early warning system for suspicious activity.
“What makes it unique is its access to customer account-level data, which is only available to IBIA and its members, allowing for precise identification of suspicious betting activity,” Reymond explains.
Between 2020 and 2024, IBIA issued around 1,200 alerts to sports governing bodies and regulators. In 2024 alone, IBIA data led to successful sanctions against 17 players, clubs and officials.
Canadian investment targets grassroots education
The IBIA has committed CA$300,000 over three years to player education in Canada, supported by members Bet365, Betway and FanDuel. The project provided training for nearly 200 athletes in the Canadian Premier League in 2024.
The organisation’s global education campaigns have reached over 36,000 athletes across 13 countries and 10 sports over 15 years. Reymond emphasises the face-to-face approach sets IBIA apart from traditional programmes.
“We are aiming at speaking and educating athletes directly at their training grounds and outside of any sporting competition,” he says. “Trust is one of the keys if we want players or coaches to be able to report approaches in the context of match-fixing.”
IBIA’s collaboration with PFA Canada leverages the union’s trusted relationship with players. PFA Canada provides regular locker room access throughout the season, creating opportunities for integrity education.
“Because of the role and interaction they have with the players on a regular basis, they are trusted by the players,” Reymond explains. The partnership includes IBIA’s train-the-trainer programme, ensuring consistent messaging across multiple touchpoints.
National framework requires cross-sector coordination
Building effective national frameworks demands comprehensive coordination between gambling regulators, sports bodies, law enforcement and integrity monitoring entities. Reymond identifies mandatory integrity monitoring participation as essential.
“All licensed sports betting operators should be required by law to join an independent international integrity monitoring body, such as IBIA,” he states. The organisation analyses account-level data without commercial interest in match outcomes.
Harmonisation of sporting and integrity rules across provinces is particularly important in Canada. “If rules are different from one province to another, it makes the situation more difficult for athletes,” Reymond notes.
Biggest myth: no sport is immune to manipulation
Reymond identifies the most dangerous misconception about match manipulation: believing any sport is immune to corruption.
“It can unfortunately happen anywhere, in any given sport and at any time,” he warns. Athletes facing poor working conditions, inadequate contracts or low wages face higher risks of manipulation approaches.
Another persistent myth suggests that restricting betting would eliminate match-fixing. Reymond counters this with evidence from law enforcement bodies including Europol and Interpol, which identify unregulated betting markets as the biggest risk to sport.
A 2021 EU-funded study coordinated by the University of Ghent found nearly 70% of match-fixing approaches were unrelated to betting, highlighting broader governance failures within sport.
Commercial necessity drives integrity investment
Reymond’s message to sports business professionals focuses on commercial reality. Preserving competition integrity represents a business necessity, not just regulatory compliance.
“Fans, sponsors and broadcasters all expect fair outcomes and credible performances,” he explains. “If trust in competition erodes, so too does the commercial value of the sport.”
The IBIA maintains formal partnerships and information-sharing agreements with leading global organisations including FIFA, UEFA, IOC, ITIA, Interpol and Europol. The organisation responded to over 20 regulatory consultations between 2022 and 2024, contributing to policy development across multiple jurisdictions.
Future expansion seeks Canadian sports partnerships
The IBIA continues seeking partners to implement education programmes across Canadian sports. Reymond reports ongoing discussions with multiple sports federations and leagues.
“There is funding available for them to implement the program so they would effectively tackle competition manipulation at potentially no cost,” he states. “They have very little to do except to commit themselves to improve the education of players.”
The organisation’s quarterly integrity reports provide transparent data on suspicious activity scope and nature, helping stakeholders understand where risks truly lie. IBIA’s evidence-based approach supports informed policymaking whilst promoting regulatory frameworks grounded in reality rather than perception.
